LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hollywood is witnessing a historic phase with movies like 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' dominating the box office. It's a rare occurrence to see two high-profile films released on the same date perform exceptionally well.
Despite the positive response, both movies are facing some criticism. However, 'Barbie' director and co-writer Greta Gerwig remains unfazed by the negative responses. In a recent interview, she expressed that she isn't bothered by the criticism and urges complainers to simply relax and enjoy the movie. Gerwig seems confident in her creative choices and wants audiences to have a good time experiencing the film, despite the mixed reactions it may have received.
'There’s a lot of passion'
Gerwig was questioned about whether she anticipated such extreme reactions in response to the negative backlash from right-wingers who criticized the movie as being "woke" and even burned their Barbies in protest. "Certainly, there’s a lot of passion. My hope for the movie is that it’s an invitation for everybody to be part of the party and let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us as either women or men," Gerwig told the New York Times. "I hope that in all of that passion, if they see it or engage with it, it can give them some of the relief that it gave other people," the director said.
Is 'Barbie' woke?
Conservative Ben Shapiro expressed his strong disapproval of the feminist themes present in 'Barbie' by conducting a fiery act of protest. At the beginning of his 43-minute YouTube review, Shapiro set Barbie dolls and a pink toy car on fire as a symbolic demonstration of his objections to the movie's perceived feminist messages. This act attracted attention and served as a potent expression of his viewpoint on the film's themes. He claimed the message of the movie is "Either you’re a third-wave feminist kook who hates men, truly hates men, or you’re brainwashed."
On Monday's episode of the 'Ben Shapiro Show', he revealed that he had received death threats following his fiery protest against the feminist themes in the movie 'Barbie'. He mentioned that he had faced backlash and even pointed out tweets suggesting that "something" should be done in response to his actions. Shapiro's strong criticism of the movie seemed to have sparked intense reactions, including threats and calls for action against him, which he discussed during his show. "I take, like, a match and I light the Barbie stuff on fire — and this is apparently terrible," Shapiro said. "The reaction to me burning a Barbie car with, like, a Barbie and Ken in it, is like the reaction of the Islamic world when someone burns a Quran in Sweden. It’s totally crazy. I don’t even. Like wow, guys. Wow."
Elon Musk also used his rebranded social media platform to criticize the movie's anti-patriarchy message. "It you take a shot every time Barbie says the word "patriarchy", you will pass out before the movie ends," he tweeted.
Before the release of the movie, Texas Senator Ted Cruz accused 'Barbie' of containing Chinese Communist Party propaganda. Some critics alleged that a map shown in the film seemed to support China's claims to disputed areas in the South China Sea, further fueling the controversy surrounding the movie's content. Ginger Luckey Gaetz, the wife of Republican congressman Matt Gaetz, expressed her concerns after attending a premiere event for 'Barbie'. She urged others not to watch the movie, criticizing it for neglecting to address themes of faith or family and attempting to normalize the notion that men and women cannot work together positively. Her critique reflected some of the objections raised by conservatives and added to the diverse range of opinions surrounding the film's message and its portrayal of gender dynamics.
